Wow. Catherine Ryan Howard has done it again! From the tense opening chapter to the jaw-dropping finale, this book had me on the edge of my seat. The Trap is clever, unique and expertly plotted with an incredibly original twist that will upend everything you think you know. The multiple POVs were all interesting and had me flying through the pages. I do wish a couple of things had been better wrapped up at the end, but it's still an excellent read. You won't want to miss this one when it comes out on August 1, 2023!

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. Catherine Ryan Howard is one of my favorite writers, so I was really excited to get to read this new book pre-release. I was really intrigued that the story was inspired by her own childhood obsession with missing people in the US as well as Ireland's various missing women when she was young. As usual, I loved the Easter eggs to other books she and others have written, and her characters were compelling. I had trouble with the plotting of this one, and I was stunned at where she ended things (can't say more due to spoilers). Still, it was an entertaining read, and I will still read anything she writes, but this was not my favorite. 3 stars.

I am at a loss for words. This book started off strong and kept me gripped up until the halfway point and then it just... I don't even know what to say.

Positives:
+ Setting is in Ireland
+ Loved reading the characters perspectives including the evil one.
+ Fast paced and short chapters
+ Loved the drama that went on with the detectives and guards.

Negatives:
- The main character is so stupid and unlikeable to the point of unbelievability.
- The rest of the characters weren't that great either and I wish we had a received a perspective from one of the side characters that was part of one of the twists (IYKYK)
- The whole situation with the main characters sister's boyfriend was cringe
- Some of the twists were odd to say the least
- The ending

1.5 Stars rounded to 2

Thank you to Netgallery and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC

Women are going missed all over the Dublin area and Lucy's sister is one of them. She just "vanished into thin air". Lucy is determined to find her but she puts herself at risk by looking.

This book is suspenseful. The author also takes on the fascination with true crime and uses shifting perspectives to change what you think of the characters as the book progresses. I really liked this (although I wasn't always sure who I was reading about) and thought it was pretty brilliant. I liked this one just as much as 56 Days and The Nothing Man (please don't make me choose a favorite!) If you like cat and mouse stories or books by Fiona Barton or Alice Feeney, then this is for you.
Catherine Ryan Howard is one of the smartest mystery writers working today and this one should make her proud.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

I found this book to be so unique!! Getting the perspective of the serial killer allows for great psychological study and discussion. I did not see the plot twists coming and I was completely enthralled with Howard's story telling, she has never failed me. I felt that this was one of her best ones yet and I liked it just as much as The Nothing Man, which is my favorite of hers.

A year ago, Lucy’s sister disappeared with out a trace. After the disappearance of another, younger girl, the authorities become convinced there is a serial killer on the loose. Desperate to find answers, Lucy investigates. Meanwhile, Angela, an aspiring police officer, works with a detective to see if there are other victims.

I thought this had a lot of potential but there were some big misses for me here. First, it might’ve been just my arc version, but there were times where it shifted perspectives without any indication or chapter break. Second, the book ends so abruptly! There is basically no resolution, no epilogue, etc.
*spoiler below*
Finally, the main culprit was just completely random. Like we had never seen this person before, no clues, etc. It just was disappointing to me.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Wow. I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

I’m gobsmacked, jaw to the floor right now.

About 60% in, I thought I knew what was going to happen. Nope. Around 80%, same thing: nope. Even on the last page I was like, “What?!”

Loved this book.

If you’re interested in reading about women who go missing, that are loosely based on real missing women (read the acknowledgments first, like Catherine Ryan Howard does), and you enjoy a fast-paced, multiple POV storyline, this is for you.

I’ve read 56 Days (loved that, too!), and will now look at reading more CRH when I’m in the mood for another great thriller.

Wow. Thank you, NetGalley for the arc, and thank you, Catherine Ryan Howard for writing another truly outstanding book.

I enjoy Catherine Ryan Howard but this wasn’t my favorite. I liked the duel perspective and it did keep me intrigued for a while. I would still read more and I think her fans will enjoy this!

DAMN. THAT WAS INSANE.
This was my second Catherine Ryan Howard book, and it didn't disappoint. I am so thankful to Blackstone Publishing, the lovely author, and Netgalley for allotting me advanced digital and physical access to this twisty tale before The Trap publishes on August 1, 2023.

Lucy is desperately looking for her sister Nicki after she suddenly went missing more than a year ago. In fact, other women have been missing from the Dublin-area as well, and little has been done to locate these ladies. As the families continue to grow agitated with their police force, Lucy takes matters into her own hands to meet with a journalist and broadcast their stories to call attention to the abductor in hopes that the girls are still alive.

At the same time, we get POVs from Denise Pope, a detective on the cases, Angela (whose just a common paper-pusher working at a desk, longing to see some action in her day-to-day career), and even the abductor himself, clueing us in on his methods and his processes for being a sadist.

In true Catherine Ryan Howard nature, you won't know what's going on until you finish the book, and even then you'll probably need to sit for moment to look back on what you've just consumed... Trust me yall, this was an easy 5 star read for me.

After a hair-raising beginning, I had a bit of trouble getting into this novel. I had a problem with believability right from the start.

I enjoyed “56 Hours” but this was a much darker psychological thriller.

Looking back on my review, it was the audiobook that made that title enthralling to me, along with the characters.

From the blurb we already know the following: “One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So, she’s going to take matters into her own hands.”

There are three women involved in the hunt to find the missing women and/or the abductor. The group of cases are now being dubbed “Operation Tide”.

*Angela, is a member of the Missing Persons Unit but has set her sights on becoming a Garda. A woman from a charity shop brings in the first piece of physical evidence that will begin to unravel one of the cases. She is thrilled to be invited along on the investigations.

*Denise is the detective working on these cases, which together have been named “Operation Tide.”

*Lucy’s life has been turned upside down since her sister’s disappearance. She will stop at nothing to find closure.
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*The 4th point of view is that of the killer. This one did make my stomach churn. Another case of a “monster hiding in plain sight”.

The novel is very well written with lots of twists and turns. I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters.

The beginning was very atmospheric and the descriptions of the dark rural night, the rain and the absence of many cars on the road immediately puts the reader on edge.

If you are a fan of this author you will enjoy this novel. Publication date is set for August 1, 2023

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley

A great paced thriller is what I've come to expect from Catherine Ryan Howard. Here we jump between narrators, getting that of a victim's sister, a garda trainee, and our serial abductor to name a few, as the mystery begins to unravel. With the perspective shifts, we often find out more information for the other threads. I found Angela's storyline the most interesting, as we get to interact with the resident badass Denise Pope. There's even a fun meta easter egg about The Nothing Man! If she keeps putting out thrillers like this, she'll be in my top authors for sure.

*Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This was fantastic! I usually don't enjoy police procedurals but the dual perspectives of the police and Lucy were very well written and hooked me from the beginning. The end was very intense and SO surprising!!

I’m a huge fan of the author and always look forward to reading her new releases, she has a great style and her books are always pacey and exciting for me to read. This one is set in the same world as The Nothing Man (which I think is her best book) and there are some super fun Easter Eggs for that and her other titles here that were clever. This is told via multiple POVs including that of the man who is abducting the women and of course his chapters were my favorites. You also hear from Lucy, whose sister is missing as well as Angela, who works for the Missing Persons unit and all of these perspectives made things move along swiftly. There were some really great and super surprising twists that I didn’t see coming and I was holding my breath at the end. As strong as this one was for me I was hoping for a more solid ending but overall this was great.

5 STARS!!!!! I love this quote from the author in the afterward. “ Even though the internet has never been able to prove this, I’m convinced I once heard the great Irish writer Edna O’Brien tell an interviewer that she wrote as a way to grieve for what she read in the headlines. I think I write as a way to solve the mysteries I find in them. Sometimes – tragically, infuriatingly, inexplicably – fiction is the only place we have to go for answers.”Catherine Ryan Howard Dublin, 17 January 2022
Your sister has been kidnapped, and so night after night, you go out and try to get in the cars of men who may have taken her, in a desperate hope for answers. What I find so enjoyable about Catherine Ryan Howard’s books is her ability to play with time. Her writing makes you think you are in one place, but really, time is very different than you thought. This ability makes for some, serious twists that I could never see coming, but bring the whole story together. One quick note, I read the Kindle arc version of this book. At about 78% there is a change from Angela’s setting to a new setting. There isn’t a skipped space or an indication of a setting switch, so I found myself going back several times to try and figure out what I was missing. It comes together in the end, but just a heads up, the caravan is not associated with Angela. Thank you so much for to NetGalley, the publisher, and especially Catherine Ryan Howard. Reading a new book from you is one of my favorite pastimes

This is my new favorite book from Catherine Ryan Howard. I love how it’s in the same universe as The Nothing Man. All of the POVs were great and my favorite was definitely the perspective of the unknown killer.

The Trap starts a little slow but builds to a fast pace as you get toward the end as things really come together. It’s a fun and entertaining story that is unique and has some surprising twists. I highly recommend this book for thriller fans who want to have a fun read.

Another page turner from Catherine Ryan Howard! This book was very enjoyable and the ending was unexpected. I was not expecting that twist! Catherine Ryan Howard has become a favorite author of mine. Her books are thought provoking and the plots she comes up with are so good. Just like her other books, I felt like I was back in Ireland when reading it. I could easily picture areas and the fictional people in the book. I love when authors write in a way that pulls you right into the story. This is a must read that I will be recommending to all.

This is a really good book! The complex story takes place in Ireland, where several young women have gone missing. No spoilers! This is my first novel by the author, and I am looking forward to reading more. Recommended!

Tense and twisty, and a little disturbing. While some of the middle chapters lag a little bit, especially the Angela sections, it was still a book I had a hard time putting down and I was so eager to get the answers and then so shocked by the final reveals! Definitely recommended.

Lucy will do anything to find her sister, Nicki, who has been missing for over a year.
The story follows Operation Tide, the search for a serial killer, the missing girls, and their families.

I thought this was a unique perspective on the missing girl trope and the people left behind, and I especially loved the chapters from the POV of the serial killer himself, but at times I found the story moving so slow. There were a lot of people, names, and stories that I had to keep up with, and while they do all connect, it was just a lot going on while not a lot going on at the same time.

For me, especially with a thriller, I don't LOVE an open ending. I know some people will be okay with that, but I just think I would have liked things to be wrapped up a little bit tighter. All in all, this was enjoyable and unique, and I would recommend to other readers.

I was absolutely floored by this book. In all honesty, I did not enjoy Howard's pandemic book -- 56 Days -- but the premise of this novel was enticing, so I decided to give it a chance. After reading this one, I will be reading everything Howard puts out. This book has such good character development and a straightforward narrative. The double twist completely surprised me. I truly enjoyed the alternating character narratives, which included the story from the eyes of the killer. I have no complaints. This was a very easy to binge book.